Ganyu X Hongjoong❄️

Pose References

I want amber to adopt me

this is the money dog, repost in the next 24 hours and money will come your way!!

A Soulmate Who Wasn't Meant to Be - Erwin Smith x fem!Reader Soulmate!AU

A/N ; Straight up this was the second thing I've ever written in the realm of fanfiction so it sucks and I mean that. But I was urged to post it. So. Here it is~! *jazz hands*. I still really like the concept, maybe I'll rewrite it in the future?

Warnings ; angst, fem!reader, soulmate!au, POV switching

Summary ; Soulmate AU - the name of your soulmate appears as a tattoo on your wrist. Everything else is the same. In which you're a pianist, and Erwin is married to his job and you find each other anyway.

Words ; 3.5k

You idly trace the words written on your wrist. You’d committed them to memory long ago, but still found yourself captivated by them. Erwin Smith. The name of your soul mate.

How cruel.

Like all children and teenagers, you were so excited about finding your soul mate, mind swimming with possibilities. I hope he’s tall, I hope he’s handsome, I hope he adores me.

But you never met him. Not after blossoming into a beautiful young woman. Not after taking up interest in learning piano and singing. Not after your friend noticed your playing and offered you a permanent job performing at her bar. You never even heard his name in passing, and gradually you started to give up hope.

Some things just weren’t meant to be.

So, you played your heart out, singing songs for the love you’d never have. Unable to look into the crowd, so you’d turned your back to them. The thought of seeing his face in the crowd, so close but so far out of your reach, was too much to bear. So, you kept your focus on the piano, the singing, the playing. Every night.

Your heart fluttered when you first read his name. Finally, after all this time. It was the headline in this week’s paper: Erwin Smith promoted to 13th Survey Corps Commander. You read that article every day for the first few weeks. It was finally something, some shred of hope that it wasn’t a fluke and the man whose name darkened your wrist was out there, somewhere. Tangible. Alive.

You were there for his first expedition beyond the walls, just like many other citizens. Truthfully, you’d never had much interest in watching the scouts, until now, but you found yourself in the sea of people. Eagerly scanning the rows of horses and green cloaks.

Your heart nearly stopped when you saw him for the first time. Gods, he was gorgeous. Even from your vantage you could tell how tall he was. Blond hair neatly party and combed, strong features, and the most stunning blue eyes you had ever seen. He was everything. He shone brightly like the sun. And you might lose him before you even get to meet him, you realized. The mortality rate of expeditions was…bad.

This point was driven home by the whispers all around you. Talk of how this new commander wouldn’t change anything. How they should just shut the scouts down. How someone’s son had been unfortunate enough to die beyond the walls… Your heart squeezed, and you said a silent prayer that he would return safely.

You were there when they returned, too. Beaten, bruised, morose, but alive. Whole…mostly. And you thanked the gods as you ignored the whispers. His features looked more ragged, the lines under his eyes deeper, exhausted. You wanted so badly to rush to him, to tell him…what exactly? Reassuring him? Anything to ease the hurt that was plastered across his face.

In fact, you started to before someone’s musings found you. “I sure am glad that Erwin Smith is the new commander, I heard the death toll went down significantly for this excursion. It’s a good thing he doesn’t have any distractions and can stay so focused. You know I heard he hasn’t found his soul mate yet, is it wrong for me to hope that never happens? That way he can devote all of himself to saving humanity. Maybe he could be our savior, maybe people will see the benefit of the Scouts with him at the helm.”

Your heart sank. Oh.

They had a point, and you froze. You would just be a distraction. You would get in the way. If he had his mind split between you and humanity…well. Humanity was more important, wasn’t it? Their goal of learning the truth and trying to save everyone from those damned Titans. That was more important. The needs of the many over the needs of the few, right? Humanity was more important than the night’s you’d soon spend crying yourself to sleep, or anxiously waiting for his return. It was more important than the heartache that would never go away, knowing you could never be together.

You steadied your resolve. Humanity was more important than just one person, you could do this. You could take this heartbreak for the greater good. You silently absolved him of any duty to find you, in your way this would be your first and only gift to him: freedom from you. Freedom from the shackles of your love for him, so that he could fight for humanity’s sake.

How cruel.

The years that followed went by rather uneventfully. You’d been there for every excursion, and every return, always sending silent prayers for his safe return. You scanned the newspapers, clipping every article that so much as said his name, keeping them taped around your vanity in the powder room behind the bar. A solemn reminder. You watched as he addressed the gathered crowds, booming voice echoing in your chest and reverberating around your mind long after he’d stopped speaking. You loved him from afar, and that had to be good enough.

In all the world you only ever had eyes for him, and he was so far out of your reach.

This evening was the same as so many others. You sat at your vanity, putting your face on for tonight’s performance, trying not to reread those clipped articles for the thousandth time, when your friend approached you. She was tall and beautiful and quick of wit. You’d confessed to her your feelings for Erwin, and she’d supported your decision to stay away from him. She was the one who suggested pushing your piano against the far end of the stage, keeping your back to the crowd. You were so grateful to her.

“How was their return today ___?” she asked, placing her hands on your shoulders and looking at you in the reflection of the mirror. “Good. He looked good, whole. That’s as much as I could hope for.” You smiled weakly, remembering the somber and stoic look on his face. “And you’ve still not tried to even talk to him, huh?”

“No, you know I won’t-I can’t.”

“But you could. It wouldn’t hurt to talk to him, even barring the soul mate thing. I know your heart bleeds for him. You shouldn’t have to suffer because of this stupid idea you got in your head that you’d just be a burden or a distraction or whatever. You’re just as important as his job, ____. You deserve to be happy…” You ignored the tightness in your chest. “Humanity is more important. His job is more important. It’s better this way.”

“Then why don’t you try to face the crowd tonight? If you’re so resolved to suffer alone then seeing his face could bring closure to you.”

Maybe, you mused. But as you imagined seeing him watching you play the songs that were for him-always for him-you felt tears stinging the back of your eyes. Not tonight. Seeing him in person left you feeling too raw, the temptation to reach out to him and confess everything was too great. You couldn’t maintain your distance if you saw him tonight. So, you kept your back to the crowd, just like every other night. And sang all the songs you’d written for him, about him, just like every other night.

How cruel.

Erwin

He hadn’t intended on entering the crowded bar, even if it was a classier joint. Especially not since they’d just returned today, and he longed to rest his aching muscles and sore injuries. However, the divine sound that permeated the cool evening air drew him in. It was beautiful and sad, and he felt in his bones the melancholy of the words she sang.

Standing far back, just inside the door, he scanned the room. People crowded around everywhere, drinking and talking, roars of laughter and amiable chatter filled the room. The lighting was dim, a single spotlight trained on the humble stage where sat a lone pianist with her back to the crowd. She played beautifully, singing words of love and loss and longing that flitted through the crowd. Some were captivated, others uninterested. But he…he was enamored.

Without realizing it he’d pushed his way to the stages, eyes fixated on her. She wore a sequined red dress that scooped low down her back, revealing just enough of her feminine curves to keep him trained on her. On the subtle motions and breaths as she played. She never once turned to greet him, but he watched her all the same; entranced.

How long did he stay like this? Long after the crowd had dispersed, and the bar was quiet. Only him, the barkeeper, a few meandering souls, and her. He stayed until she finished her set and exited the stage. He had to meet her. This alluring woman that had so captivated him, made all the worry and stress and pain melt away as he watched her and listened to her songs. He had to know her name.

The barkeep stopped him as he wandered towards the powder room.

“Sorry, sir. Employees only.”

“Ah, apologies. Can I ask? Who is that woman?”

She gave him a pained smile and led him to the now empty bar. “What are you drinking, Commander?”

“So, you know me?” he questioned, quirking an eyebrow.

“Sir, everyone in this bar knows you.” He scoffed, brushing it off as because of his status as Commander.

“Whisky. Neat. Thanks.” She deftly poured him two fingers of the top shelf and slid it across the bar. Erwin downed the drink gratefully, letting the familiar burn take the edge off.

“She is our little songbird. Lovely, isn’t she?”

He nodded, “Yes but she…. she seems so melancholic.”

“She is. All her life she’d dreamt of her soul mate, as most girls do, but over the last few years she’s given up hope, resolving herself to a life of solitude. My heart aches for her.”

“I take it she’s shared the name with you?” He asked, idly thumbing the name on his own wrist.

“Oh, yes sir. Even despite herself she still looks out for him. Talks about his work and accomplishments, prays for his safety…”

“So, she does know him?”

“Yes. He is in the public eye, but he does not know her,” she said, trying not to give away too much, “How could he? What are the odds that someone of his rank would find themselves in this place, anyway?”

“If that’s true…why hasn’t she tried reaching out to him?”

She sighed heavily, “Commander,” she started, leaning in, “would you like to meet her? She plays here every evening. I could introduce you.” Erwin pondered this, tracing the rim of his glass with his thumb. It couldn’t hurt right? Maybe they’d find some common ground, there. After all he’d never met his soul mate either. Maybe they could come to keep each other company on lonely nights….he was getting ahead of himself.

“I have to return to work early. I’ve stayed way passed the time for me to retire. My next day off is Saturday, though. Could I arrange a meeting with her, then?” “Of course, sir. I’ll tell her you were interested in her playing and wanted to speak about the songs she’s written. She doesn’t often take visitors, but I’m sure she’ll warm up at that.”

Erwin thanked her and left. He should have asked for her name, but it didn’t matter. Not really. He’d long since given up on finding the one, his job took priority over everything else, and it was better that way. It had to be. For Humanity's’ sake.

But he did feel a twinge of regret for never having looked for her. Surely, she was lonely and didn’t deserve this. But he didn’t have a choice, he’d convinced himself he could suffer no distractions.

You

Despite telling yourself you’d given up hope on him, you asked your friend every night if he was in the crowd. IF she’d seen a glimpse of him or heard his name on hushed whispers. Tonight was no different, though the tone in her voice when she denied you made you suspicious.

You brushed it off, though. It was surely nothing.

You would think you’d get tired of playing, since you do it every night, but when you returned home to your modest rental, you set about finishing up the song you were writing. A song for him, always for him. You planned on debuting it this Saturday, the busiest night of the week, so it had to be finished and refined by then.

You played long into the night, only making it to bed once the sun tipped over the horizon. Late nights were no stranger to you, especially since you kept bar hours. That night you dreamt of ocean-blue eyes.

The next few days passed uneventfully, just as they always did. You skimmed the newspaper for news on the most recent excursion, finding nothing. You finished your song in time for Saturday’s performance, and even picked out a special gown for the evening.

Come Saturday you felt the familiar nerves of performing a new song for the first time. The gown you’d picked was a beautiful blue, it hugged your curves perfectly, making you look like divinity on earth. You’d chosen this specific dress because it reminded you so much of the color of his eyes. Erwin’s eyes. The eyes of the soulmate who wasn’t meant to be.

You stared at your reflection where you sat at your vanity. Stupidly you hoped he’d be there tonight, like you did every night. And just like every night you told yourself he wouldn’t be, that to continue hoping against all odds was childish. That this was the way it should be: him protecting and serving humanity, and you keeping your distance and loving him from afar.

How cruel, this fate of yours. You eyed the name written across your wrist fought back the tears. After all these years he still made your heart bleed. He still made you crave him, long for him. You just couldn’t help yourself. You supposed that was what soul mates were supposed to do, anyway.

Like every night, you strode briskly on stage, making a point not to turn to the crowd. You made a show of elegantly sitting at your piano, just as always.

Erwin

Tonight was the night. The night he’d learn her name, talk to her, get to know the woman behind the piano. So alluring, so tragic. He wondered if he dressed up too much and removed the tie from his neck only to then retie it just to remove it again. He opted for a white button down, black trousers, dress shoes, and his bolo tie. Surely this would be enough, right? But he wanted their first moments together to be memorable.

As he took in his reflection, he wondered why it mattered so much to him. It wasn’t like she was his soul mate. Right? It couldn’t be. Not here. Not now. Not after everything.

The bar was even more crowded than last time, and he was grateful when the bar keep waved him over. She didn’t ask about his drink preferences, having remembered from before. He downed the whisky in a single drink, hoping that it would take the edge off the nerves he was feeling.

Let him fight a Titan or run a coup any day. But talking to a beautiful woman? That he had no experience with. That isn’t to say he wasn’t popular with women, he was. But he’d never given them more than a passing thought, always married to his work. Until now.

He’d never even seen her face, but her music-her songs- touched him deeply. He didn’t have to see her face or know her name to know that he would burn down the world for her. Soulmates be damned.

He watched her play, and as his eyes were trained on her, the sights, smells, sounds of the bar faded away. It was as if she were the only other person in the world, and he wouldn’t have had it any other way. It was nice to lose himself in something that wasn’t work, for once.

The music stopped, luring him out of his trance. He’d made his way to the stage again, leaning against his elbow.

“This last song,” she spoke. This was the first time he’d heard her speak, and it was just as stunning as her singing, “is dedicated to the man whose name marks my wrist. To the man who I know I can never have, who I have made peace with loving from afar. This song I wrote for him, about him, and I hope that some day my words will reach him. Thank you for listening to me play, tonight.”

Her song started, dreamy and emotional. Her vocals were soft and powerful. She sang about watching him for such a long time, and how enraptured she’d been with the blue of his eyes. How his passion and drive not only made her fall more and more in love with him, but also how it broke her heart, knowing they could never be together. She sang about being afraid to feel this way, but that she wouldn’t have it any other way because despite it, she still loved him.

As he watched her, he ignored the single tear that streaked down his cheek. He could feel the pain in her words. Feel the sorrow in her voice. He wanted to leap onto the stage and crush her against himself and kiss away all that melancholy. It was not lost on him that the man in the song had the same color eyes as him, though he didn’t have the mind to process that in the moment.

He snapped back to reality when he saw her shudder.

You

You couldn’t help it. This song you’d written for him, the words you’d sang, they still tugged at your heartstrings. The emotions behind it were still too raw, and as the song ended and the lights faded, you succumbed to the sobs that wracked your body. You prayed that nobody would see.

You steadied yourself, you didn’t want to show this kind of weakness to this size of crowd, and stood to leave.

“Wait!” A voice called to you from the opposite side of the stage, stopping you in your tracks. It sounded so familiar…too familiar. Your heart leapt into your throat as you slowly turned around.

You audibly gasped when you saw his face. Erwin. The same Erwin you had been watching and loving and longing for. Your soulmate, Erwin. He’d called out to you, climbing on stage to jog over to you. Your mouth gaped as you tried to find words. Any words. What was he doing here? Why was he here, now? Did he listen to your song? Did he know you were his soul mate? So many questions flitted through your mind that you didn’t even notice the hush fall over the bar.

All eyes were trained on you two.

“I-“he started, looking down at you. He was so tall, gods so much taller than you could have imagined. He cleared his throat. “Why are you crying?” he said finally, reaching up to gently wipe away the tears that streamed down your face. You blinked, searching his eyes. The eyes you’d just sang about.

“B-Because…” you drew in a shaky breath. How could you explain it all? Was now even the time for that? Why had he reached out to you so suddenly, anyway? You didn’t even really know what was going on. One thing could make him understand, you realized. One thing could say more than your words could.

You stretched your arm out to him, watching his expression change as he read his name on your wrist. His eyes widened in realization, his expression softening. The crowd was completely silent now, watching the scene unfold.

“You’ve been waiting for me,” he said softly, cupping your cheek and holding your hand, “All this time, you were here. And you’ve been waiting for me.” “Erwin,” you breathed, and your heart soared with the way he smiled at hearing his name on your voice.

Softly, gently, as if you were made of glass, he leaned into you, planting a ginger kiss on your soft lips. You melted into him, and you wanted nothing more than to get lost in him. The applause that ringed out through the bar startled you both out of your moment. They’d been waiting for this. There wasn’t a regular in this bar that didn’t know the name on your wrist, and your sense of duty to remain in the shadows. And there wasn’t a soul in this bar that wasn’t glad and relieved that you’d finally found each other.

Blushing, embarrassed, and giggling like schoolchildren, you and Erwin made your way off stage and into the powder room.

“We have a lot to talk about,” he beamed at you, making your heart flutter. “Yes, we do.”

He didn’t tell you that the smile you gave him that night nearly brought him to tears.

Maybe... jealous xiao?

he becomes jealous

xiao

Honestly? You thought it would take a lot to get Xiao jealous.

He knew you were loyal to him. I mean, you've already submitted yourself to him fully knowing you were a mere mortal and he could live thousands of years—would he really get jealous of any man that just so happened to get closer to you than he would like?

...The answer is yes. Yes, he would be.

He had always known him dating a human would lead a thorny path, and he didn't mind that in the slightest. For you, he would overcome all.

But sometimes, he gets insecure. He knew the time you spend was short lived, and you could easily detach yourself from him and live a normal married life with a mortal man. It was a future that promised certainty, meanwhile dating an adeptus promised the opposite.

Would you really be fine staying with him when you had clearly better options?

So yes. He thought his jealousy was quite justified when he saw you engaged in lively chatter with another guy.

Xiao was normally capable of pasting on a poker face no matter what the circumstances, but this time, he couldn't resist the urge to twitch his lips downward. His eyebrows arched low, and he felt his eyes narrow in distaste. (He did manage to keep the growl to himself, though.)

“I didn't think I'd run into you here, [Name]!” your male friend exclaimed in glee, grabbing both of your hands. Xiao's gaze turned impossibly hostile.

“Me neither...! How did you end up here?” you responded with equal amount of shock, also harboring the same joy your friend felt when he found you. “This is far from our town!”

“You know, just exploring a bit,” he replied with a laugh. “I discovered a few treasure chests from ruins. I got some good artifacts!”

“Wait, really?! Let me see!”

The only thing left keeping Xiao from pulling you away was the giant smile on your face. No matter how impatient he became (and how awful it felt to be neglected), he couldn't steal away your happiness.

...Even if it came in the form of an annoying twat who stole your attention. Fuck.

Finally, after what felt like years (it's only been ten minutes, but you can't blame Xiao for being overdramatic on this one), your friend had the decency to acknowledge his presence. “Who's that with you?” he asked with a tilt of his head, curious about your companion.

You perked up, brightening like the sun. “Oh, this is...!” you excitedly held Xiao's hand, and his irritation melted away. just a little. “Xiao! My, um...” you shyly trailed off. “Lover.”

Xiao paused, momentarily surprised with your straightforward answer. “Yes.” he wrapped an arm around your waist for good measure. “Lover.”

Your friend blinked, thinking for a few seconds, before a snicker spilled from his lips.

...Why.

“Nice to meet you. [Name] talks about you a lot,” he teased, and your ears flushed crimson. “It's great I got the opportunity to see you.”

“...Likewise,” Xiao responded hesitantly, in the most insincere voice he had, and found no reason to make his reply any longer.

Seeing his presence was unwelcomed, he cleared his throat. “Anyway, I'll be taking my leave now,” your friend announced, packing up his stuff. “Wouldn't want to get in your way.”

“In our way...?” you repeated, confused.

“Yes!” he affirmed, throwing your boyfriend a knowing look. “Your way.”

(Xiao had underestimated your friend too much, it seems.)

“I'll get going, then,” he waved farewell before disappearing into the distance. You waved back, yelling out ‘goodbye’ while Xiao remained silent.

“We best be on our way too,” he commented, resuming his walk towards your destination. You raised a brow from his quickening pace and rushed to keep up.

“What are you rushing for?”

“It's almost nightfall,” he replied simply. “We should hurry.”

That sounded fairly reasonable, so you nodded in response, thinking nothing was wrong.

Many minutes later and after all your attempts to strike up a conversation ended shortly with Xiao's three-worded answers, you felt like you needed to address the problem at hand.

“Hey... is something wrong?” you brought up timidly, fiddling with your fingers. “You seem upset.”

He glanced at you for a few seconds before turning away. “What are you talking about?”

“You're normally not chatty, but this time, it's worse...” you stated. “Can you tell me what's bothering you?”

“There is nothing to worry about.”

You puffed your cheeks, huffing in retaliation. “That makes me worry even more. You know, you've been grumpy ever since-”

Ever since... ever since what?

“...Ever since my friend came to talk to us?” you finished off your sentence in a questioning tone. The puzzle pieces clicked into place and you curled your lips into a teasing smile. “Don't tell me you were just-”

“Shut up,” he warned, all bark and no bite—obvious by the way the tips of his ears turned red from embarrassment.

“Oh, come on, Xiao, he was just a friend!” you giggled, patting his shoulder comfortingly. “You have absolutely nothing to worry about!”

“I beg to differ...” he murmured to himself, purposely facing to the side so you couldn't see his face.

“...Are you seriously upset, though?” you followed up, jeering tone withering away. “You know that I love you, right? And only you.” you held his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Tell you what, I'll do anything. What can I do to make you feel better, hm?”

He timidly faced your figure, interested in your bribery. “Anything?”

You held up a peace sign. “As long as it's something I can do, yup!”

He stared at you for a moment before pulling you to a nearby rock. He took a seat before hoisting you up on his lap, immediately burying his face into your neck while he looped his arms around your waist. “Let's stay like this... for a bit.”

“Oh, just a hug? Alright.” surprised from the easy request, you returned the embrace.

He hummed, bothered by your comment. “Why, would you be willing to do more?”

“I thought it would be more demanding,” you admitted, playing with the tips of his hair. “Since it's you.”

Provoked, he clicked his tongue and kissed your neck. “If you insist, then.”

I just saw Albedos new trailer. Quickly went to make this dumb short thing

Broken Promises

Scaramouche x F Reader (Angst)

Hello my dear readers! I hope you all enjoy this story. I don’t know what it is but I LOVE writing angst. It is my favorite and I love feeling pain…okay I'll stop now. Anyways, I’m going to shut up and let you read, so please, grab some popcorn and have fun reading this angsty story. :) <33333

You and Scara have been longtime friends. You work well together and have just been sent on a mission to collect a rare and precious pearl from a monstrous unknown creature. You two and a group of people went into a deep and hollow cave. However, once you find the pearl, the creature unleashes itself and tries to attack you all. And that is where this story begins~

I flew back into a stone wall, groaning as the painful impact surged across my body. I looked over to see Scara on the ground. The creature in front of us screeched loudly, emitting powerful and ear bursting vibrations. I quickly placed my hands on my ears, trying to block out the painful noise. A warm and liquidy substance trickled down my hands to my arms. I looked out of the corner of my eye and saw that it was blood. However, my attention was quickly turned away from the blood when I saw a sword head towards Scara. My eyes widened, my instincts quickly kicking in. I sprinted towards him and wrapped my arms around his body. We both fell over, but the sword cut deep into my upper arm, making me yell.

Scara’s eyes widened when he heard your pained voice. He looked up at you and saw that you had a huge gash in your arm. He grabbed you and brought you to a safe area.

He then tore some of the fabric off of his shirt, tightly wrapping around your wound.

“Stay here.”

You placed a hand on his and shook your head.

“No. It’s nothing I can’t handle. You can’t fight him alone.” You spoke back.

“I’m not asking, I’m demanding. You are not able to fight.” he said, but you ignored him and tried to get up, but he grabbed your waist and pulled you back down.

“Listen to me. If you get hurt anymore, I don’t–they don’t know what they could do without you.” He said, talking about the small group of people helping us.

“He’s right, Y/n. Besides, Scara and I will work together and finish him off. You stay here and rest.” Lumine said, popping up out of nowhere. She placed her arm around his body, causing both of us to tense up a bit. It’s needless to say that he and I haven’t had the greatest encounters with Lumine. She always tries to get in the way of us when we are training or just hanging out. It’s like she doesn't want Scara and I to be around each other so she can have him all to herself. It’s like she has a weird fixation on him, but maybe it’s just her not understanding that he and I would like to be alone at times.

But just as Lumine finished her statement, another sword came flying at Scara.

“Watch out!” You yelled, pushing him to the ground once more, the weapon just barely missing your head.

Lumine turned and quickly grabbed her sword and the one right next to my head. She ran towards the creature and swiftly drove her sword across two of its legs. The creature cried out in pain as a purplish liquid spewed out.

My eyes widened as she did that.

“No! Don’t!” You yelled, but she just ignored you.

“Scara, get his other two legs!” Lumine yelled.

“Stop! We can’t hurt it!” You tried to say, slowly getting up.

Scara looked up at me and glared, pushing me to the wall.

“I told you to stay put. Listen to me!” He yelled.

“But this is wrong. We only came here to get a pearl from the creature, not kill it!”

“Sometimes, you have no other choice Y/n.”

He then turned around and went to help Lumine, slicing the creature's other legs.

I watched them stab and wound the animal as it tried to fight back. While Scara was distracting it, Lumine tried to grab one of the pearls that were piled up behind it. However, the animal sensed Lumine's presence and attacked her.

“Lumine!” Scara yelled out. I looked up at the animal and tried to figure out what was so important about these pearls. Why is the creature so protective of them?

And that's when I felt a small lick on my hand, causing my head to turn. I gasped a little as I saw the same creature, only a much smaller and younger version of it. I saw that he had what looked to be an iridescent, white shell around him. I stared at it for a bit, picking it off of the animal. I looked behind it and saw more of the same shells leading to a large and rounded piece.

I put two and two together, making my heart sink. I looked at the pearls that the creature was defending and realized that they were not pearls…but they were in fact her eggs.

No wonder why she is trying to harm us. We were trying to take one of her own!

“Scara stop!” I yelled, but he ignored me.

“Please! These aren’t pearls! They are her-”

“Y/n! Shut up!” Lumine interrupted, helping Scara.

She managed to run up to the animal and pierce her leg once more, making the mother fall.

“You’re up Scara!” Lumine said with a smirk.

I turned to see Scara grabbing his sword and running towards the mothers head, about to stab her right through.

I couldn’t let this happen! It was just out right inhumane, so I did what I had to.

The mother shut her eyes, whimpering for what was about to happen. But nothing came.

Confused, the creature opened her eyes to see you standing in front of Scara.

His sword centimeters away from stabbing your chest. His eyes widened with shock as he couldn’t believe what you just did.

The creature took the chance to grab her eggs and disappear without a trace. Lumine and Scara stared at you with anger as you let the animal get away.

Scara slammed his sword down and grabbed you by the collar, getting close to you.

“What the hell did you do that for?!”

“Scara, I couldn’t let you kill her. Those pearls…those were her eggs! Her offspring! I couldn’t let you take her away from them.”

“You have no right in telling me and Lumine what we can and can’t do!”

“You and Lumine?” You said in disbelief.

“That’s right. She was the only one who was able to actually try and get the job done. Meanwhile you let your guard down and got soft…all because what? A mother and her eggs?”

“Yes! Because those eggs need their mother to protect and nurture them.”

“No they don’t! Look at me! I never had a mother and I turned out just fine. You are too soft…which is what makes you weak! Not to mention you almost got killed! Do you know how hurt I would’ve–your family would’ve been? You can’t just do something so idiotic! Use your brain, Y/n!” He yelled at you.

“Maybe you should start using yours! Do you hear how horrible you sound right now? You were willing to kill an innocent creature for your own good!”

“That monster was not innocent! It tried to kill us!”

“Yes, because it saw us as a danger to her and her babies! She was just trying to protect them!”

“Enough! You obviously are not in the right headspace. I think you should go back home. Lumine and I will continue our mission that you made us fail!” He said, turning away from you.

You stared at him in disbelief and heartbreak.

“You’re leaving me?” You said in a quieter tone, making him stop.

“Yes, because you will be nothing but a burden to my mission. At least Lumine will be able to help me out. I’m done with you, Y/n. Maybe next time.” He said, leaving you.

That’s when you broke down.

Tears fell down your eyes. From the terrifying experience, from the guilt of terrorizing a poor creature and her eggs, from the harsh words Scara spoke to you, but most of all, him leaving you behind is what broke your heart the most.

You two even made a promise to never leave each other, especially after you found out what happened to him. You still remember it like it was yesterday. You had invited him over to your family’s place to eat, which he tried to decline…but with you being you, you wouldn’t take no for an answer.

–flashback–

“Scara? Are you still here?” Your voice was heard. Scara quickly wiped his tears away, but you walked in on him just in time. You pushed past the vines that were blocking the entrance to your house from the back yard.

“Go away.” he spoke

But with you being stubborn, you stayed and instead walked closer to him.

“What’s wrong? I thought you were having a great time.”

“I am…well, I was–”

“Is it my brother? He can be a handful sometimes, but he means well.”

“No, it’s–”

“Is it the food? Was it too spicy? Too sweet? Not enough seasoning?”

“No, it was good…I-

“Is it me? Are you annoyed by my presence–”

“Y/n!” He slightly raised his voice at you, causing you to back down.

He stared at you apologetically and sighed.

“You have all been great…it’s something I’m not used to, especially your parents.” He spoke. Making you perk up at his statement.

“What do you mean? Were your parents…not that great?”

He chuckled.

“Just having a mother and a father would have been great…” He said, tears welling up in his eyes again.

“You mean…you don’t have any?” You asked, making him frown once more

“I had one…Raiden Shogun. She was the one who created me. I looked up to her. I loved her. I viewed her as my own mother. However, she wanted nothing to do with me. She abandoned me, and left me in the dust to rot away.”

You stared at him with sorrow, feeling anger towards the purple haired woman. How could someone be so cruel?

“But, that’s not all. I found a friend, who helped me and sheltered me. He was very kind…until he, too, left me. And then, I found one more friend who I thought would be by my side forever…until he passed away and left me.”

“Scara…I’m so sorry.”

“That’s why you see me like this. Over the years, I have relied on others, only to be left behind. I had to learn how to fend for myself. I can’t trust anyone but myself anymore. I can’t stand the sight of some people either. And…when I see you and your family together, laughing and cherishing each other's time, I can’t help but feel anger and envy.”

You stared at him in silence, your heart bleeding out for him.

“It is selfish, I know–”

“No.” You interrupted him, taking his hand in yours. He looked at you with teary eyes, seeing your teary eyes as well.

“You have every right to feel those emotions and more. You have lived through a life that most have not lived through. You have been hurt and betrayed over and over again…and I am, from the bottom of my heart, so sorry that all those things happened to you.” You said with a broken voice.

“You don’t have to feel sorry for me. I’m used to getting left behind. Honestly, I am ready for when you leave me as well.” He said, making you shake your head.

“I will not leave you.”

“You will.”

“No!” You yelled at him, making him flinch a bit out of shock from the sudden outburst.

You quickly wrapped your arms around him, holding him close. He tried to pull away, not used to the feeling, but you wouldn’t let him go.

“Let. Me. Go.” He said, but you shook your head.

“No. You need this.” You said softly.

Slowly, but surely, he started to give in, enjoying the warm and cozy sensation.

You pulled away to look at him, your arms still wrapped around him.

“Let’s make a promise.”

‘A promise? For what?” He asked you.

“A promise that we will never leave each other behind, no matter what.”

Scara couldn’t help but chuckle.

“There is no way you could-”

“Scaramouche. When I make promises, I never break them. And I’m not going to start anytime soon.” You interrupted him

He looked at you with hesitance, seeing your pleading eyes.He sighed as he finally broke down.

“Fine, if you promise to never leave me behind, I promise to never leave you behind as well.” he said, making you smile and hug him tightly.

“Deal.” You said, making him genuinely smile for the first time in forever.

Not only that, but you also made his heart beat for the first time in forever as well.

–end of flashback–

You watched as he left you behind, breaking the promise like it was nothing. You never knew you could feel this awful. You loved Scara, and not just in a friendly way…you loved him romantically. You knew it was stupid to fall in love with him when he can’t even feel it…it would just end up breaking you…and it did. It truly did.

Now, you were all alone. Sure you had other friends, but no one understood you like Scara did. You two were inseparable…until now.

Your heart felt like it tore apart as you fell to the ground, curling up against a wall. Quiet sobs escaped your mouth. Suddenly, you felt a familiar lick on your hand, causing you to look up. You saw the same little creature as before, staring at you with saddened eyes.

It knew you were in pain, and so it cuddled right up to you, trying to decrease your pain.

You couldn’t help but smile sadly as you saw the little bugger trying to cheer you up. You wrapped your arms around it and held it close.

The creature licked your wounded arm, making you gasp.

“Don’t lick that little guy. You could get sick- huh?” You interrupted yourself. You looked down at the gash and saw that it was slowly healing from the saliva of the creature. You looked at it with awe.

“No wonder why they wanted you.”

The creature licked your face like a puppy would, making you chuckle quietly.

“Don’t worry little guy. I will make sure no one hurts you or your family. You all are under my protection now.”

Suddenly, the mother appeared out of thin air, startling you. She looked down at you and snarled, but when she saw her little one playing with you, she stopped.

“I am sorry for what we did. We didn’t know….but I understand everything now. Please forgive me.” You said, bowing to the gigantic creature. She looked down at you with concern, but that look of concern quickly turned into one of care and appreciation.

She laid down next to you, letting her other littles that had already hatched, run around.

You watched them as they ran to you to cuddle you.

You were extremely hurt by Scara…but what these cute creatures were trying to do really helped distract you from it.

–Weeks later with Scaramouche–

I plunged my sword into the ground as I still couldn’t find Y/n. Frustration and anger were emitting off of my body. Those feelings weren’t towards her…they were towards myself.

“How could I have been so cruel to her. I hurt her…I ruined everything between us…all because I couldn’t fucking control myself!

He hit a tree with his fists, leaving nothing but blood on them. His hands were raw by this point and he fell to the ground.

Tears welled up in his eyes as he looked at the ring you got him. It was a friendship ring that signified your promise between each other. He didn’t deserve it…he didn’t deserve you and yet he tossed you away like you were nothing but paper. He couldn’t believe what he had done, especially with his feelings towards you. Yes, the one and only balladeer had in fact fallen in love with you. He didn’t want to at all. In fact, he was afraid to.

But whenever he saw you, ready for a next adventure with him, he couldn’t help but give in to that emotion. You always did sweet little things for him that you might not have noticed, but he did. You would always allow him to rest on your legs, softly petting his hair that made him go crazy. You always got protective of him if someone insulted him. You always made sure he was okay and allowed him to speak his mind. Everything you did with him just made him fall head over heels for you. And no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t get rid of those feelings.

And now…because of him, he lost it all in one day.

After your argument that day, he realized what he had done and instantly went back to apologize to you. But you weren’t there. So, he tried your house, but nothing. He tried to ask your other friends and even your family, but they had no idea. He kept asking around but got nowhere. It has been several weeks now and still no trace of you whatsoever. He was terrified that something horrible happened to you. And it would’ve been all his fault.

What if someone kidnapped you and was torturing you? What if you were locked away forever? What if you…what if you had been dead?

All of these thoughts continuously ran through Scara’s mind and he couldn’t get rid of them.

Every night he hoped that you would just randomly pop up, greeting him happily so that he could grab you and hold you close to him, never letting you go. He wants to feel you again, he wants to hear your sweet and melodic voice again, he wants to just straight up kiss you and confess all of his feelings to you in hopes that you return those feelings.

But who was he kidding, after what he did, you would never feel the same. And that’s something he would have to live with.

But no matter what, he will continue to search for you until the day he’s gone. He will stop at nothing to get you back. Absolutely nothing

–

Suddenly, he heard a large commotion coming from a city nearby.

Curious, he quickly ran towards that city, seeing what the noise was all about.

He saw a huge crowd gathered together and what seemed to be a medium sized creature strapped down to a board. It was whimpering at the sight of everyone as it tried to escape.

As Scara got a closer look, he realized it was the same creature he fought the day you and him got into an argument. Except this time, the animal was much smaller than the one he fought. His eyes widened as he saw what the people around it were doing. The people were tormenting, throwing rocks at it while poking it with pitchforks. Scara instantly felt regret when he harmed one of that creature's kind.

What was wrong with him? How could he have let himself try to harm such an innocent creature, especially the mother? Now, here he was, watching people torture what is probably the mothers child.

He needed to stop this and quick!

However, his thoughts were quickly interrupted when he heard a loud and ear piercing sound. Everyone screamed from the impact, as did Scara. They all fell to the ground, their eyes shut close, and their hands on their ears.

“Leave the creature alone and let him go. Or else there will be dire consequences.” A familiar voice said. Scara opened his eyes only to feel his heartbeat out of his chest. He saw the same creature he fought weeks back…but that wasn’t what made his heart pound. What made his heart pound was that finally, after so long, he saw you riding on the back of the mother. Standing proud and strong. Now was his chance to get you and fix his mess.

_______________________________

Part II coming soon! I hope you enjoyed, my dearest

Honestly can't find any other good armin series or fics do you have any recs or faves in mind? I'm literally armin starved t—t

oh anon you asked the right person. also sorry for the long ass list...i could name some more so lmk if you want more recs. i have more faves in my head but i'm afraid this is already too long lol.

all this time - junisfics on ao3

beneath the cliffs - sophsiaaa on ao3

ulterior motive - sophsiaaa on ao3

malware - satosugusadness on ao3

good boy - serendimplelity on ao3

sisyphus - sabbywrites on ao3

monomania - piecksz on ao3

catholic boy - cafedanslanuit on ao3

p-p-p-pathetic - angeplummie on tumblr

heatwaves - arlertwitch on tumblr

four times armin bites - papijean on tumblr

surface tension - prettyboykatsuki on tumblr

better than him - luxesiren on tumblr

nevertheless - oyusumi on tumblr

mean armin - noritopia on tumblr

will you be my valentine - kooruphobic on tumblr

study date - alert-arlert on tumblr

As requested! A tutorial on faces will be coming soon as well.

one of my best friend’s response to my dysphoria last week

♡ instagram / commission info